Bitesize News

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has focused heavily on actions to stem climate change and to address piracy off the coast of Somalia, in what has been a busy and productive biennium for the Organization on the regulatory front, Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos told delegates at the opening (on Monday, 21 November) of the 27th session of the Organization’s highest governing body, the Assembly. The meeting is being attended by more than 1,000 delegates from IMO Member States as well as from international governmental and non-governmental organizations.

A man has been convicted of attempting to murder a senior Law Society official.

Leslie Cumming, 68, the then deputy chief executive of the Law Society of Scotland, was attacked in a lane near his home in Murrayfield, Edinburgh, in 2006.Robert Graham, 46, denied trying to kill the accountant but after a nine-day trial, a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh found him guilty.

Lawyers appearing at the UK's highest court will no longer have to wear traditional dress, it was announced today.From now on advocates in cases heard at the Supreme Court in London will be able to "dispense with any or all of the elements of traditional court dress".The announcement was made by the court's president, Lord Phillips.

The shortlist for the 2011 Eclipse Proclaim Personal Injury Awards has been announced. The list represents some of the most talented individuals and companies working in the UK personal injury sector, ranging from solicitors and claims management companies to barristers and rehabilitation providers.

The awards, which are in their fourth year, celebrate the excellence of individuals and organisations across the whole of the personal injury claims sector. Having established themselves as a highlight of the UK’s personal injury calendar, the awards have been welcomed by the industry for their role in bridging the traditional partisan ‘claimant/defendant’ divide.

In countries where Islam is not widely understood, ensuring the legality of the Islamic marriage contract (nikkah) in the courts presents special challenges.

Marriage in Islam is not a sacrament, but a covenant. It is solidified when the couple agrees to or signs a legally binding marriage contract, or nikkah.

Although a couple may include highly detailed prenuptial agreements in their marriage contract, cases do arise where a spouse contests the terms agreed upon. How then can Muslims in Western countries ensure the legality of the marriage contract at the time of its signing?